Black Bean & Blueberry Brownies

I discovered this recipe when I did a presentation and demo with Hodmedods in Devon. I also tested out the Hemsley & Hemsley version. Here I’ve made a few changes to create a sticky and dairy free version with toasted nuts and a simple method. This recipe is by no means going to make you slim, a cake is a cake no matter what you use for fat or sugar the recipe will be high in fat and sugar. BUT these brownies do have decent nutritional value with no additives or chemicals as well as super charging an afternoon run! Cake is an important part of life and should be taken seriously!

The stuff to make it:

230g coconut oil melted

4 eggs

800g black beans drained

150g dark brown sugar/coconut sugar OR 340g runny honey/maple syrup

2 tbsp vanilla extract

100g pecans, toasted

100g quality dark chocolate or 80g cocoa powder

100g blueberries ( I chose blueberries because they follow the BBB theme but you could also use blackberries or broccoli, up to you just don’t mess up the B’s)

What to do with all the bits:

First) Melt the coconut oil, chocolate and choice of sugar in a bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water. Pour over the drained black beans in a cold bowl and pulp with a hand blender or food processor. Mix in the eggs slowly a bit at a time (brownies are not no so appealing when made with scrambled eggs so if unlike me you possess any sort of patience then i suggest waiting for the melted mix to cool a bit). Throw in the vanilla extract and feel free to taste for any adjustments (Personally i think all cake batters taste nicer than the finished article, a personal problem I developed during childhood). Add a pinch of salt and throw in the blueberries and the toasted pecans (you can toast in a pan, in the oven or under the grill but keep an eye on them as not to burn because pecans are like the Mayfair of the nut world and I’m not in a position to watch money turn to chrcoal despite its detoxing properties)

Next) Pour the mixture into a coconut oil greased glass baking tray about 7 inches by 11 and whack in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes MAX ( my oven is totally unreliable so i check after 15 mins)

After that) To know if the mix is cooked the knife should come away NEARLY clean. A sticky residue is a good sign for a brownie. Unlike a cake you do not want this mix to be dry as it will only get dryer once cooled.

Must do) Lick bowl clean because oh my god!

Unimportant additional information) You can keep these brownies in the fridge without them becoming dry. If you want to really jazz them up then wait for them to cool and top with my simple coconut icing from my Autumnal Cake recipe and decorate with violas or more blueberries and take a photo because they are going to be gone in the next hour or so